We have only 1 doorway for parents to enter, but on days that are goingto be really busy, we (PTO) try to have someone up fron to help out and keep an eye out. With all the safety issues in schools, we want to be extra vigilant of this. We try to call down to the teachers room to say so and so is on the way down, so they know to expect them. We have set up a table right at the front, just for sign ins.
As far as no extra kids, most districts have that rule because of safety issues. The buildings have strict fire code rules as far as #'s of people in rooms. Furthermore, if there was a fire, if 50 moms had 1 or 2 siblings with them, how would the city EVER know how many people were really in the building, in the event of fire, terrorism or any other catastrophe?
I think if parents see in writing all the sensible reasons ( for safety)why the district has made the changes, they are less likely to whine about it.
I am a kindergarten teacher in a building that has the same sign in procedures as yours. We also have the same issues on Holidays (and Snow/Rain days) as you described. The main way we enforce the signing in of parents is that teachers know a parent without a visitor tag is not welcome. We send them back up to the office and do not allow them into our rooms if they don't have the tag. We also know to stop anyone we see who doesn't have a tag and send them to the office. For Halloween we also have the kindergarten children make masks to wear and do not let them bring in their costumes. This keeps the costume ready for the main event that night and means parents don't need to help anyone change. Our older students do bring costumes but as they are older they discourage their parents from trying to help them. The last thing we do to cut down on holiday madness in the building is send home a notice a few days before, telling exactly where in the building the festivities will be and what time to arrive. So for Halloween it says to arrive at 2:00 and wait outside for the parade to begin. For the Holiday Program in the winter the note says to arrive at 2:00 and go to the gym after signing in. Parents then know they are not to go to our rooms.
Our parade is an outdoor event also unless there's bad weather like this year, then the parents are asked to go to the gym. I can tell you from experience that having numerous parents and young siblings in the classroom can be quite hectic. I've had some parents who were truly there to help and some who just came to eat and stand in the way.
If bringing younger children along is a necessity(don't have anywhere for the child to go), then maybe you could look into having some volunteers who could watch those children during the party time in a separate area or get a list of parents who would be willing to trade babysitting services.
I know it's hard for our school on party days. There are people roaming everywhere and they don't have enough visitor badges. It really isn't an ideal situation and yet I know there would be huge uproar if a similar policy was started at our school.
I agree with the others that people are probably really upset right now and maybe they'll calm down after they have time to let it soak in and look at the reasons behind the decision.
Keep the lines of communication going with the parents and administration to see if something can be worked out to make everyone happy.
What we do on Halloween here might help you.
On that day they encourage parents to pick their child(ren) up at lunch time and take them home to feed them and get them changed into their costumes. The children of parents who cannot pick them up bring their costumes to school with them and change at lunchtime as well. But, either way the parents are not coming into the building to change their children into their costumes. They send home a notice about a week before Halloween for parents to sign stating that they will be taking their child home for lunch and then they do not have to come into the school to sign the child out on that day either. We have a Halloween Parade as well, but we hold it outside. This way the parents come but again do not enter the building.
Our school also requires everyone to check in at the front office or no going on campus. The school's officer also requires every visitor to wear a bright orange visitor tag so he can identify a visitor immediately.
As far as the no younger siblings rule, we've had that in place for years. It is not a school policy, but a county policy. I believe it's an insurance issue for the county. If a parent is coming in to volunteer, then they are covered under the county insurance...not children that are not school aged. Besides, if a parent is volunteering, he/she should not also be watching his/her younger child at the same time. However, if the parent has been invited to see a performance or something like that, then they are not considered volunteers and are allowed to have the small child with them as their responsibility.
Find out why younger children are not allowed and present the message to the parents. If it's a safety concern or insurance concern, parents should be told and they'll handle it a little better.
